Lock-stitch seam and method and means of producing same.



F. A. REECE. I LOCK STITCH SEAM AND METHOD AND MEANS OF PRODUCING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. 19l3- I 1 1 86,5 1 8. Patented June 6, 1916.

afieece,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN A. REECE, OF MANCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCK-STITCH SEAM AND METHOD AND MEANS OF PRODUCING SAME.

Application filed October 7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN A. REEoE, citizen of the United States,residing at Manchester, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLook- Stitch Seams and Methods and Means of Producing Same, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a novel lock stitch seam and method and meansof producing it, and more particularly to a lock stitch seam producedfrom a single thread instead of the usual two threads.

The object of the present improvement is to enable a lock stitch seam tobe produced in a novel, simple and efficient manner.

A more specific object is to enable such a seam to be produced from asingle thread.

Other objects will appear in the hereinafter following description.

To the attainment of such objects the present invention consists in thenovel lock stitch seam and the method of producing it and the means ofproducing it, hereinafter described and illustrated.

Generally speaking, the principle of the present improvement is themanipulation of a single thread in such manner as to engage it in thework at what may be termed the start-point of theseam in such amannerras to afford two integral strands of thread both commencing atsuch start-point and both of which extend in the direction of the seam,being interlocked at intervals in a suitable manner into successivestitches. At the beginning the thread end is pulled through the work,forming what may be termed the under or free strand of thread, the otherstrand being that extending between the needle and the work and whichmay be termed the upper or needle strand; although throughout thisapplication the Words upper and under and similar words are employedonly in a relative sense.

It will be convenient to describe the present invention in its severalbranches by remay be carried, out, and two instances of lock stitchseams which may be produced thereby.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof Figures 1 to 8, insuccessive Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Serial No. 793,798.

stages, show diagrammatically in perspective one convenient means andmode of procedure for producing the seam of Fig. 8.

' Fig. 9 isa diagrammatic plan view of the instruments or meansillustrated in the other figures and in the relative position which theyoccupy in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 shows in perspective a difierent form of lockstitch seam which may be produced according to the present invention.

In the several figures of the drawings the same reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts and members.

The margin of the work 20 is illustrated in the several figures, thesame being cut in cross section but at advancing points so that theillustration of the work follows up the formation of the stitch.

Of the instruments illustrated, the principal one is the needle 21,having an eye point to which the thread passes from athread supply. Theneedle is for the purpose of piercing the work and carrying the threadthrough the work to form loops at proper times and at the start-point ofthe seam for affording the upper and under strands as already referredto.

In combination with the needle '21 are suitable thread manipulatinginstruments whose main function is to work, the free or under strandback and forth. for engaging it at the proper times in the loopsof upperor needle strand. These instruments, which collectably may be termed theunder mechanism, may, for example, comprise a thread grip 22 shown atthe left, a thread grip 23 at the right, a thread hook 24 at the left,and two thread hooks 25 and 26 at the right. The relative location ofthese instruments may be as indicated in Figs. 1 and 9. The thread gripmay consist of a device having fingers or jaws which may be closed uponthe thread for gripping it and opened-for releasing it, although nospecific means for opening and closing is illustrated herein as thatwould be easily provided inan obvious manner by one skilled in the art.

- The successive motions and manipulations may now be convenientlydescribed in their ferring to illustrations showing one modein which ora means by which-the invention order with the aid of the successivefigures, during which reference will be made to the portions of theinstruments 21 to 26 and the movements and formation of the differentthread portions.

First: The thread 30 from the supply being engaged in the eye of theneedle 21 is carried downward by the needle piercing the work. Theneedle descends a predetermined amount and then rises slightly, giving aloop 31.

Second: The thread grip grips the loop 31 and the hook engages the loop.111 this stage of the operations the parts are indicated in Fig. l.

. preventing entanglement.

Third: The needle ascends to its initial position and the grip 23 andhook 25 withdraw so as to pull out the thread portions 31 into a' freeor under strand of proper length to take part in the subsequentformation of a number of stitches. Fig. 2 illustrates this stage of theoperations, and also shows what is termed the upper strand 23, which, ofcourse lengthens during the progress or the seam.

Fourth: The needle 21 jogs to a point beyond the edge of the work andadvances relatively to the work (the jogging and feed movements may beeither of the work or the needle), and the needle then descends fulldistance and rises slightly, forming a loop 32; while the grip 23 hasrotated on its own axis or inverted so as to lay the under strand 31 ina more convenient direction, the hook 265 engaging the free end of thestrand to prevent its fouling or entangling. This stage of theoperations is illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fifth: The grip advances through the loop 32 formed on the seconddescent of the needle.

Sixth: The grip 22 takes hold of the thread 31 and the grip 23 releasesthe same;

Seventh: The grip 22 pulls left-wise, drawing the entire under threadstrand through the loop 32 while the hook 24 assists by taking charge ofthe thread end and This stage of the operations is illustrated in Fig.4:.

Eighth: The needle ascends, and in doing so pulls the lower strand tothe work, or, as shown, to the top side of the work, forming a loop 33of under strand.

Ninth: The needle again relatively jogs and advances.

Tenth: The needle makes its third descent, piercing the work andslightly ascends, forming a loop of the upper thread strand. This stageof the operations is illustrated in Fig. 5.

Eleventh: The grip 23 again advances, forcing the under strand 31through the loop 3% and setting it to the grip 23 while the hook 26assists the latter by taking charge of the thread end. This stage of theoperations is illustrated in Fig. 6.

Twelfth: The grip 22 releases the thread and withdraws to initialposition.

Thirteenth: The needle ascends, pulling the under strand to the work orthrough the work to a point above its top side.

Fourteenth: The needle again relatively jogs and feeds and descends fulldistance from eight to fifteen are repeated for each complete cycle ofoperation, forming,- as shown in Fig. 8, a continuous seam in which theunder strand is formed alternately into loops 3?, 39, etc, engaging withthe upper strand 32 at the upper side of the works edge, the upperstrand becoming substantially straightened and the loops of under strandgiving the effect of a purl edge.

It will be understood of course that dimensions and arrangements areexaggerg.

ated, and that whereas successive loops and points of penetration areshown separated they will, in fact, lie as closely together asdesired. 1

From the above description. it will be seen that, generally speaking,the method followed for the engagement of the thread in the work at thestart-point is to proceed by forming the upper strand into successiveloops through the work and over the edge of the work, and passing theunder strand completely through each successive loop and then taking upsuch loops to remove the slack, and to set the line of interlockingthread points where desired.

By differently taking up the upper strand through the action of theneedle and any cooperating devices, the line of interlocking points ofthe upper and under strands may be altered, and indeed the stitch formmay itself be altered in various ways, for example as indicated in Fig.10, where the under strand 31 is permitted to remain substantiallystraight while all of the interlocking loops are formed of upper strand.

The three thread hooks below the work serve the purpose of guards,guarding the thread end against catching or entangling in the mechanismor thread loops.

In a sense the present invention is peculiarly useful for stitching theedges of buttonholes, and the work illustrated in the drawings may beconsidered as a portion of a buttonhole. The formation of a given seammay be continued until the free thread strand is consumed, and if it bethen desired to continue the seam farther, another section. of seam maybe at once begun by a new start-point located near the termination pointof the preceding section of scam. In the case of a buttonhole no suchrestarting would be necessary if one seam section is of sufiicientlength to attend to the entire buttonhole or to one side of it.

It is obvious that from a broad aspect either or both of the threadstrands may penetrate the work, and either or both of them may passaround the works edge. This invention does not negative the presence ofa second thread, since a second thread might be employed as a means ofsecuring the interlocking of the upper and under strands of the presentinvention; or a second thread might be worked in along the edge of thework for the purpose of producing a purl effect or for other purposes.

It will thus be seen that there has been described a lock stitch seamembodying the present improvement and also a complete method ofproducing the same, and convenient instruments therefor, by which thedescribed objects and advantages are attained, besides which otheradvantages will be obtained by those skilled in the art. Since manymatters of arrangement, operation, stitch form and other details may bevaried Without departing from the principles hereof, it is not intendedto limit the invention to such details excepting in so far as specifiedin the appended claims.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. The method of producing a one-thread lock stitch buttonhole seamcomprising engaging the thread in the Work and pulling its end throughsufliciently to leave a free thread strand of suitable length, and thencarrying the two integral strands in the direction of the seam andinterlocking them with each other at intervals into successive stitchespassing alternately through the work and through the buttonhole slitthere-V in to form a seam extending around the buttonhole. V

2. The method of producing a one-thread lock stitch overseam comprisingengaging the thread in the work and pulling its end below the worksufiiciently to leave a free thread strand of suitable length, and thencarrying the integral upper and free strands in the direction of theseam, forming the upper strand into successive loops through and overthe edge of the work, passing the free strand completely through eachsuch loop and taking up each such loop.

3. A look stitch buttonhole seam consisting of a single thread, a middleportion of which is engaged through the work at a point at the end ofthe seam, the two integral thread strands which extend from suchengaging point, both being of substantial length, and both extendingfrom such point generally in the direction of the seam, and the twobeing mutually interlocked at intervals into successive stitchesextending al- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

